PKPKM Moots ‘Harvester On Wheel’ To Address Farm Labour Shortage

SUNGAI SIPUT, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- The National Association of Smallholders Malaysia (PKPKM) has submitted a proposal to the government to develop a national strategic initiative based on the gig economy and digitalisation of the agricultural sector - Harvester on Wheel (HoW).

Its president Adzmi Hassan presented the proposal in conjunction with the association’s 50th Golden Jubilee celebration, held alongside its 25th biennial general meeting today

Adzmi said HoW is a digital platform concept designed specifically for the commodity agriculture sector and is being developed in collaboration with PKPKM’s strategic partner, Dagang Nexchange Sdn Bhd.

According to him, the platform offers a new approach to addressing the critical shortage of farm labour, particularly in the rubber and oil palm sectors, which are predominantly operated by smallholders.

“The labour shortage is no longer a seasonal challenge, but a structural crisis that is impacting the income of smallholders,” he said in his speech at the celebration.

Also present was Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) chairman Manndzri Nasib, who represented Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Adzmi said the gig-economy-based initiative has the potential to create flexible income opportunities for local youths as plantation workers, while at the same time, helping smallholders secure a more efficient, trained and readily available workforce.

“The HoW initiative is also aligned with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) agenda, as it allows youths trained in agriculture, mechanisation, operational safety, machinery handling and drone technology to be directly absorbed into the real employment ecosystem.

“PKPKM believes this approach will not only address the labour shortage, but also help create a more professional rural employment ecosystem - one that provides sustainable income and attracts greater interest from the younger generation,” he said.

He added that more than 90 per cent of the country’s rubber plantation area and nearly 40 per cent of its oil palm plantation area are cultivated by smallholders, underscoring their strategic importance to the national economy and rural development.

He said PKPKM would continue to serve as a strategic partner to the government and industry to ensure that no smallholder is left behind in the country’s development agenda.

-- BERNAMA